Staples tops Darien for 4th straight Class L championship
Wreckers beat Darien for first time in three tries to take home their fourth straight state title
WETHERSFIELD — For the Staples field hockey program, there is no place more beautiful than Wethersfield in late November.
The Wreckers captured their fourth consecutive Class L field hockey state championship Saturday by defeating Darien, 42 at Wethersfield High School’s Joe Cottone
Field.
“To win four straight state championships is an amazing feeling,” said Staples senior tricaptain Hannah Paprotna. “Everybody on this team worked so hard for this. One of our team mottos is ‘Championships are won when nobody is watching in the weight room.’ Considering everybody’s work ethic, making this fourth title a reality is awesome.”
Indeed. In the fiveyear tenure of Staples coach Ian Tapsall, the Wreckers conquered Cheshire 20 in the 2018 Class L final. They beat Darien 10 in 2017. And they were cochampion with Darien in 2016 after a hardfought tie.
The script for Saturday’s title was a little different than the previous Staples-Darien meetings this 2019 campaign.
Darien won 31 back on Sept. 18 in the second game of the regular season. The rivals tied 00 and were declared cochampions in the 2019 FCIAC Championship final.
On Saturday, fourthseeded Staples (2111 overall) pressured No. 3 Darien (2021) all over the field for 60 minutes to secure the victory. At times, it seemed like Staples had 20 players
on the field against Darien’s 11.
And Staples made a plethora of fast break, breakout passes to key its transition attack. Darien faced going the long field all afternoon long.
The statistics that didn’t lie included Darien senior goalie Monisha Akula registering 13 saves to just two for Staples senior goalie Roxanne Augeri. Staples also had nine penalty corners to just two for Darien.
“We kept the pressure up. We got Darien a bit on their heels,” said Staples senior tricaptain Kyle Kirby. “We are so fast. Our speed is our best asset. The key is getting the ball out quickly and far.”
There were three goals scored in the final 6:43 to give Staples a 32 halftime edge.
Kirby scored with 6:43 left as the officials let play continue as opposed to giving coach Tapsall the timeout he was screaming for.
Darien senior Molly Hellman tallied her second goal of the day off a penalty corner with 4:48 left for a 22 tie.
Staples’ Erica Fanning answered just 3:18 before intermission for a 32 Wreckers’ edge.
“I don’t know how much we changed our plan today,” Tapsall said. “We just finished our plays better today.”
Staples senior Ellas Bloomingdale tallied with 18:19 left to play to give the Wreckers breathing room at 42.
Darien’s offense didn’t open up the field in the second half and each Blue Wave player was trying to score the two needed goals themselves rather than working collectively.
“I was so proud of our fight. At 22, Staples’ last two goals came on tipins. That was deflating,” said Darien’s veteran coach Mo Minicus as the Blue Wave were unable to secure their 11th state championship title. “It was a battle of two very good teams. Staples had more fire. Our offense didn’t get untracked until the last eight minutes.
“Only one team can win these special games. Staples played a little better than we did,” Minicus continued. “Ian (Tapsall) has done a great job in his (fiveyear) tenure. He’s got their program to a very high level quickly. It’s always a battle when our teams meet.”
It is a mutual admiration society between the Lady Wreckers and their coach.
“We train a lot. But coach Tapsall brings so much experience from all over the world. It’s been a blessing for us,” said Staples tricaptain Paprotna. “Coach gives us amazing advice on and off the field.”
“For the girls, four consecutive Class L state titles mean everything,” Tapsall said. “For me, four titles means seeing the smiles on the girls’ faces. We started last August and their dedication has been tremendous. I just give them the plan.”